European politics

The implications of no-deal Brexit: is the EU prepared?

This policy contribution, based on a note written for the Bundestag EU Committee and written by Guntram B Wolff (Bruegel), explores the possible consequences of a no-deal Brexit for the European Union and assesses preparations on the EU side. It also provides guidance on the optimal strategy for the EU, depending on the choices made by the United Kingdom.
Overall, a […]

What are the Irish government’s Brexit priorities? A united Ireland is not one of them

What is the Irish government’s Brexit wish-list? The suggestion that Irish unity, as opposed to safeguarding political and economic stability, is the foremost concern of the Irish government is to misunderstand and misrepresent the motivations of this key Brexit stakeholder, writes Mary C. Murphy (University College Cork).

Following the UK vote in favour of Leave, the Irish government moved swiftly to […]

How the EU handles non-approval of treaties, and what it means for Brexit

As the UK stumbles through the ratification process for the Withdrawal Agreement, it’s worth bearing in mind that the EU is no stranger to treaty approval problems, writes Simon Usherwood (University of Surrey). He argues that the EU is extremely unlikely to give any concessions to the UK on the substance of the Agreement, even if Parliament rejects it. If a no-deal […]

Breached or Protected? The ‘principle’ of consent in Northern Ireland and the UK government’s Brexit proposals

Today the UK government has published a policy paper that attempts to counter unionist concerns about the Withdrawal Agreement and its potential impact on Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom. Underpinning this paper is the government’s commitment to ‘maintain absolutely the principle of consent’. Katy Hayward and David Phinnemore (Queen’s University Belfast) explain the origins and significance of this concept in […]

There is no left-wing case for Brexit: 21st century socialism requires transnational organization

The contribution of traditional social democracy to the consolidation of neoliberalism in Europe illustrates the difficulties of developing a nationalist left alternative in the contemporary capitalist state, argues Lea Ypi. Contemporary socialism requires new ways of organising and must be transnational. Using the British case, she explains why neither Remain nor Leave fully capture the demands of the left.

Europe Beyond Brexit: what’s next?

While the scheduled date of Brexit is fast approaching, the British public debate, which is focused on the current state of the exit negotiations and the outlooks for the future relationship, mainly represents the UK’s point of view. This is why the LSE European Institute and the LSE School of Public Policy jointly hosted a panel event aimed at […]

Taking back control: how EU citizens are slowly gaining power

Transfer of power to Brussels may weaken member states, but it empowers citizens – it is a pity EU citizens do not know their own power, writes Caroline de Gruyter (European Council on Foreign Relations).
The news site Politico Europe recently produced one of many inevitable end-of-year rankings, “The women who shape Brussels – class of 2018”. It was interesting […]

The EU has not given the UK what it wanted – which was free access to the Single Market without freedom of movement and the constraints of European Court of Justice rulings. This is because the EU fears that giving into the populist Euroscepticism Brexit represents would trigger a wave of further departures. Horatio Mortimer (LSE) reports on the […]

Prelude to a Lexit manifesto: decoding the new German ideology

German liberal ideology has come to dominate the European Union, but it is fraying as movements for popular sovereignty gather pace. Brexit is the tip of the iceberg, writes Michael Wilkinson (LSE). It represents a chance for the Left to reconnect with democratic socialism and reject an authoritarian Europe in favour of progressive politics.

Game Over? The Withdrawal Agreement is by no means the end of the Brexit negotiations

The announcement of the Withdrawal Agreement on November 13th was a momentous occasion, regardless of its final fate and the aftermath in London. It followed years of intense and fractious negotiations between the EU and the UK government. Although negotiating the future EU-UK relationship will also be arduous, it is difficult to envisage any issue more fractious as resolving […]

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